Luke 5:10b:

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.”

Question: How do you envisage that, how do you see how Jesus catches people?

Note: Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 use the term “fishers of men”, but here the term is “catch men”.

“Do not be afraid”

From early years we are taught to abide by social expectations as to how we behave, to let other people know they can be comfortable in our presence, and to step outside those behaviours can arouse suspicion and hostility from people.

Jesus is calling us to activities that may be outside those social expectations, that may make people feel uncomfortable with their choices, and trigger suspicion and hostility. But he calls us to rely on Him and not be deterred by fear.

“From now on you will”

God has a plan for each of us, and it is wonderful to know clear guidance from God. Those moments may be rare, and it requires a readiness to see and listen.

“Catch men”

Peter and the others had toiled all night and caught nothing, but when they followed Jesus’ command to let down their nets, their nets were breaking with the quantity of fish.
And so it is with Peter “catching men” – the question rightly points to it not being due to Peter’s effort, but to God’ miraculous activity, and the bible tells us how God catches men:

• The Lord softens our heart, to overcome our resistance.

As promised in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”, and as shown in with Lydia Acts 16:14, “The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

• We hear the gospel preached. 

2 Thess 2:14, “He called you to this through our gospel”

• As we hear the gospel, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and wakes us from being dead to sin.

As Jesus promised in John 16:8: “When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment”, and as shown in Acts 2:37, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart.”

• God grants us the gift of repentance, to change our whole direction in life.

2 Timothy 2:25 reads, “in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth”, as confirmed in Acts 11:18, ” even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

• God grants us the gift of faith, as belief and trusting in God is not something we can achieve by our own effort.

Ephesians 2:8 reads, ” For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God”, and 1 Cor 12:3, “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

• Through faith, Jesus lives in us, we are born again and given new life through the Holy Spirit.

Eph 3:17 reads, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

Acts 2:28 promises, “Repent and be baptized, … And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

1 John 4:13, “This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.”

Romans 8:11, “he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.”

Praise God that He has caught each one of us!